


Growing Up

by Nunonabun



Category: Call the Midwife
Genre: Gen, Growing Up, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 09:11:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14234013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nunonabun/pseuds/Nunonabun
Summary: Timothy and his parents have a conversation about certain qualities of men.





	Growing Up

"Any interesting cases today?” Tim asked his parents, a bite of cottage pie hovering by his mouth as he noted his mum’s eyebrow-warning that he’d better not be about to talk with his mouth full.

The five Turners were sitting around the table eating dinner - some more successfully than others, as evidenced by Teddy’s messy bib and Mum’s untouched pie. His parents always insisted they eat around the table, both having often voiced a disapproval of this ‘television dinner’ trend. In truth Tim enjoyed it; his parents were so busy most of the time, and this gave him a chance to test his knowledge on real cases.

Dad’s smile as he watched Angela offer Teddy some of her food with baffling success belied his deep sigh.

“I had to send a young man to St. Cuthbert’s today for X-rays to see the extent of his broken cheek bone -”

“Zygomatic” Tim interjected.

Dad nodded but didn’t smile as he normally would, so the case must have been a sadder than it seemed.

“Yes. He’s been in a few times for injuries from brawls.”

Mum shared his sorrow. “It’s such a shame. Jim used to be such a sweet, sensitive boy. He always reminded me of you, Tim.”

Frustration rose in him at her words. When would they realize he was not longer a child?  

“Well I’m not  _sensitive_  any more, and neither is he because we’ve grown up. We’re men now, not little boys.” He punctuated his words with a firm stab at his food.

“Tim!” Mum exclaimed just as Dad wagged his finger in that infuriating way. “That is  _not_  true.”

His frustration ebbed a bit in shock at their vehement reactions.

Mum fixed him with her Stern yet Disappointed Look. He hated that look. It made him feel way worse than if Dad yelled, which just made him angry. “Tim, losing your sensitivity is not part of becoming a man.”

Mum looked at Dad, urging him to continue, probably because he had personal experience on the matter. “It absolutely doesn’t have to be, Tim, and it’s worse for you and everyone around you if it is.”

Tim pushed the remaining food around on his plate, uncomfortable with the direction this conversation had taken.

“No “young man” wants to be sweet and sensitive,” he mumbled, trying to defend his stance.

“That saddens me greatly,” Mum commented gently. “They should want to be. We've seen so many women married to insensitive men come through clinic, so many children hardened by cold fathers.”

“I didn’t mean we should be  _mean_. I just meant...” he struggled to communicate that edge men seemed to have. How could they not understand? “You become tough, you don’t get hurt by things that would have made you cry when you were little.”

Already his parents were negating his explanation.  

"Blocking your feelings is what leads to that meanness.” His mother clarified. 

“And it doesn't help the men any either, keeping their feelings locked up, refusing to acknowledge them, let alone feel them and cope with them." Dad added, a quick, meaningful look arcing between him and Mum.

"What's more, the central quality of a good doctor - of any good medical professional - is empathy, and that’s inextricably linked with sensitivity.” Mum always knew what would get to him. Their other points gave him pause, but now he was really questioning what he’d so casually assumed to be true.

“To be caring and empathetic are traits of of yours you should cherish, she continued, “because they’re so very important to every aspect of your personal life. You need to hold on to them, Tim,  _especially_  because you will likely continue to be told you shouldn’t have them. Lack of empathy and care is the root of so much pain."

Dad gently put a hand on his arm, and he looked alarmingly... guilty? “Tim, you know I’ve struggled with that, with talking about my feelings, and I’m sorry if that’s made you think you shouldn’t talk about or even feel yours. There are just some things as a parent I’ve wanted to protect you from, and some things that are private, that I’ll only share with Mum. But your words when Mum was in hospital did reach me. I’ll try to do better.”

That was possibly the most alarming thing he’d heard all night, yet somehow it made him feel older than anything he’d tried to argue was true. But it also reminded him of the one thing still niggled at him, something he’d heard from loads of classmates. “Girls don’t like emotional men though. They want men who can be tough for them.” 

Mum looked completely taken aback. “Where on _earth_ would you get that idea?”

"You can’t truly be strong for a romantic partner unless you’re strong  _with_  them, Tim.” His father explained, a lot more calmly than Tim would have expected. 

“Sensitivity and caring, being able to be vulnerable and being someone another can be vulnerable with are the roots of love." Then Dad became more predictable, going all starry-eyed and taking Mum's hand.

"It was your father’s sensitivity to those around him and desire to care for them that first attracted him to me. And his commitment to emotional vulnerability within our relationship has only made me love him more." Mum agreed, giving Dad just as mushy a look back.

Tim was surprised to find he barely had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "All right I understand, being sensitive is important and I promise I’ll continue to be a sensitive man if you _please_ don’tgo on about your ‘attraction’ any more." 

Thankfully his parents broke their gaze to laugh at what was now almost as much an act as a sincere request. He would have to give it more thought, but perhaps moving past discomfort at their mushy stuff and learning from it was more of a sign of growing up than anything else.

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews are to fic writers as coffee is to a university student, so I'll love you a lot if you leave either in my inbox, though the former may be easier.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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